The Secret to Happiness on a Monday

To wake up in the morning and do what you love!

Pink: unconditional love & acceptance; Polka dots: play and fun

As soon as you figure out what that [doing what you love] is, do it as fast as you can, for no pay [to learn, if that's what it takes], whatever it takes. . . it's totally worth it!

Christmas Spirit

I always decorate my house for Christmas on the first weekend in December and I was helping one of my lovely clients at her house on Friday. We found a beautiful garland from Chintz & Co. with red apples, white berries and green gladiola leaves for the mantle in her great room. The garland was similar to this one, big and lush:

flickr

We don't have a mantle above our fireplace, it's just a flat brick wall, so I'm coveting everyone else's. We were at a Christmas Party on Saturday night and the mantles in this home were so beautiful, I had to photograph them. The living room had the formal looking vignette, I loved the staggered row of 18 candles with the PEACE stocking hooks:

This was the playful family room mantle. These red feather trees look so amazing on mantles, ever since they first came out about 4 years ago I have tried to find them for myself but never could. These she bought from the Urban Barn a couple years ago.

Can't forget Santa Clause in a Christmas vignette:

And the touch of Canadiana with the moose!

This mantle I found on Country Living:

Sue Fraser Photography from flickr

The Little Black Dress

I thought I'd share with you this site by Gwyneth Paltrow I stumbled upon while blogging one day. You can subscribe to her newsletters where she talks about clothes, menus, travel, etc. It's like getting a personal email straight from Gwyneth, approximately once a week. Since we are in the season where we all need a cute little black dress, I thought I'd share my favourites from her recent newsletter with you:

Here she said she chopped 3 inches off the hemline which is what I did with a little black dress I bought a month ago. I decided I too needed to get a pair of tights and get with the trend! Unfortunately it was then too short when I got it back and tried it on. I wished that the tailor had said "Are you sure you want it that short, maybe you should sit down in it and make sure?", that's when I noticed how darn short it actually was! So remember that ladies, if you are out to shorten a dress or skirt!

This one I liked because I have a gray sweater and a thick black belt similar to this one, it's fun to get new ideas with clothes you already own!

And this one I had to show because of those fuscia tights. . . aaaack, I already did that in the 80's so I guess I can't do it a second time. . . sigh. It's very cute on her though.

Now a post from me wouldn't seem right if I didn't say something about the colour so if you are going to wear black, here's what it means:

Black: Sleek, sexy, chic, expensive, glamorous yet practical, power, sophisticated, formal, elegance & drama, wealth, mystery, and style.

Lots of good reasons to wear black this season!

A Happy Mid-Century Renovation

This is the home of Dee Dee and Hale Hoak featured on Tribeza an on-line magazine. This house is located in the community of Greenway Parks, Dallas and as the community website points out, “For years, residents have found the neighborhood so appealing that homes are often passed down from one generation to the next".

I just loved the accents of colour in this primarily white house and the open, light-filled spaces! Photography by Casey Dunn. Enjoy. . .

Fun and Funky ‘Frilly’ Chair

Making its debut at the Milan design Festival earlier this year 'frilly' chair by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola is fun and funky!

I love the vibrant transparent colours of these polycarbonate chairs. Due to the material used they can be used both inside and outside. What a great way to brighten up an outside seating area or add a touch of vibrancy to a room!

With the moulded curve in the back rest 'Frilly' chairs look remarkably comfortable. These are a great alternative to the mundane plastic chairs seen on many patios and decking areas. Being made from polycarbonate they will be easy to keep pristine looking throughout the summer season. When it's too cold to sit outside the chairs can be used inside. Being water resistant makes them suitable for use in rooms with humid atmospheres like a bath or shower room. Alternatively they would provide a trendy injection of colour in a bedroom. With a wide range of colours available there is a chair to suit all interior decors and colour schemes.

Patricia Urquiola wanted to create a practical chair which gave a pleated fabric look to her high backed chairs, which I think she has achieved superbly.

My favourite colour is the vivid cerise pink, which I would chose for a trendy yet feminine teenager's bedroom.

Due to the transparency of the polycarbonate, placing the 'Frilly' chair near a window or light source I'm sure would produce some fantastic visual effects.

To find out more about Patricia Urquiola and her designs visit www.kartell.it

Image source: www.designboom.com

Colourful Trees for Canuck Place

Last night was the launch party for the Sutton Place Christmas Tree Charity. My designer friend Hanan from Aura Interiors had been asked to decorate a tree. Every vote for the best tree costs $5.00 and all proceeds go to Canuck Place so if you are downtown, make sure to drop in and place your vote!

Here is Hanan's gorgeous black and silver hollywood glam tree:

Hanan from Aura Interiors

Hanan, Maria & Amber

I am a big fan of Vancouver's own celebrity designer/fellow blogger Patricia Gray, and I had yet to 'officially' meet her and suddenly there she was, right in front of me! Here I am with Patricia in front of her tree which was 'themed' to go with the Canuck Place charity!

Hanan & Patricia Gray

Next year maybe I'll be there with my own 'Colour me Happy' Tree :)

Vancouver Colour Designer; Why is it so hard to choose yellow?

Image from flickr

I've noticed that this is a BIG question on-line so I thought I'd post my opinion to add to the masses. Why is yellow so hard to choose? Because all colours get twice as bright when they get bigger [all over the walls] and it is well known in colour theory that yellow is the first colour the eye sees, it's simply the brightest. Which is why it has to be toned down (or muddied) even more than the other colours, before it becomes a 'designer' yellow on the walls.

Flickr

The reason why I'm calling it 'designer yellow' is because a professional colour consultant spends a lot of time 'toning down' colours that their clients choose in addition to helping the client pick colours that create flow in their home. A pretty paint chip does not necessarily make a pretty wall colour and it's also why one client said to me "I am ALWAYS surprised when I see the little 2" x 2" chip all over the walls, it's never what I thought I would be".

When I first did my colour training in San Francisco with the Daystudio, I came home and bought all the colourant so that I too could shift the colour on site [like I had been trained to do]. In the end though, the only colour I was able to change reliably [on-site] was YELLOW. For example, the way you actually get to 'beige' is by adding the 'complement' to the colour you are working with. So if you want pinky beige you start adding 'green to red' if you want a nice yellowy-beige, add 'purple to yellow'. My students spend 2 classes, right at the start, painting with colourant, toning down the colours, etc so that they can start to understand how colours are created.

Therefore, if you want to tone down a bright screaming 'laundry room' yellow, add some purple to it. Or better yet, take your gallon back to the paint store and ask that they 'tone it down' for you. So don't worry, if you've picked the wrong yellow, you can always muddy it and add some orange if it's too green. It's going backwards that you cannot do without adding a lot of white paint to an existing colour--which I don't recommend, cause who knows what you'll end up with, at that point, it's better to start with a fresh gallon of paint.

Ford actually called this colour 'Screaming Yellow"

Remember the post I did on colour consulting in a house with a 'screaming yellow' bedroom? Well, this is what it looked like (I know I'm showing an exterior wall but you get the picture)

Image from flickr

You certainly don't need a 'light' with this kind of yellow. When the yellow above gets toned down, it would then work on an exterior wall like the one below:

Image from flickr

There are painters and colour consultants that arrive on site with their colourant kit and 'shift the colour' on-the-spot if it's not right. After actually working in a paint store though, I really got what a science adjusting colour is, so I would rather let the experts perform their magic in the store with the shakers to get it perfect!

Curvaceous Perillo Lounge Chair

The curvaceous flowing integral seat, arm rests and back of this beautiful chair is extremely visually appealing to me. With no harsh edges or straight lines the continuous fluid movement of the seamless design offers a stunning piece of contemporary furniture.

I love the contrast between the grained wood and the plain inner surface. I just want to run my hands over this lounge chair and enjoy the smooth sensuous surface!

This may sound strange but I also look at this chair and can’t help think of how hygienic looking it is. There is no where for dirt or grime to accumulate or hide! A practical as well as functional lounge chair that would look great in both contemporary homes or informal seating in office foyers and public places.

German designer Martin Ballandat has created the Perillo lounge chair for the Swiss based company Zuco Burositzmobel. Ballendat says “The main objective when developing the product was to create a piece of furniture which is also a true showpiece. In a world which is geared towards efficiency and economy, ‘Perillo’ offers a welcome and exciting contrast when compared to the sterile linearity of many modern buildings.”

In my opinion Ballendat has surpassed his main design objective, Perillo really is a true showpiece of exciting contemporary furniture.

Ballendat set up his own design office “Design Ballendat” in 1995. Visit www.ballendat.de to see more of his wonderful designs and information regarding the numerous design awards he has achieved to date.

Image source: www.notempire.com

Colour Love

In blogland this weekend I visited Coco & Kelley's site (which I love) and saw this dining room from Stephen Shubel Design which was featured in House & Garden in 2004. I know I have this magazine around here somewhere because I remember seeing this room then and falling instantly in love with it at the time. I love yellow and orange [and that fresh yellow green to cool it all down] and here they are featured in this San Francisco, Pacific Heights Mansion:

A Haven for Peace and Relaxation

I just love this shower unit ! Spacious and light with more than enough room for two!
The shower unit Sensmare was designed by Professor Gunter Horntrich and is one of the new lines added to the Hoesch range.

The shower unit’s glass is made from patented Hoesch Everclean glass, which is resistant to both lime scale deposits and water marks forming. Great for keeping the shower looking beautifully clean and shiny with little effort. My kind of practical shower!

The slatted seating and standing area are made from durable African wood. Being able to flip them up individually offers great different variations when or if you want to share your shower time! With a row of water jets located at the far side of each seat this shower is an ideal space to sit, relax and chat.

In recent years showers have become sanctuaries for relaxation and de-stressing after a long day or as an instant refreshing wake up at the start of the day. Those who prefer not to wallow in a bath will love this shower unit with its subtle coloured integral lighting.

I love the unobstructed glass panels, low shower tray to step into and the generous amount of space Sensmare offers. A far cry from trying to squeeze into tiny shower cubicles of the past especially if you wanted to share your shower time!

Hoesch designs are all about providing havens to promote well being and inner peace.
Sensmare shower unit certainly offers those qualities for me.

Image source: www.homedesignfind.com

Why is Black a Slimming Colour?

My personal trainer Ruth, at Innovative Fitness asked me the other day if I would do a post on 'Why black is a slimming colour'. She said "Ever since we got our new uniforms which are these cute black zips, everyone has been asking me if I've lost weight." As if that is even possible cause don't forget who it is I'm talking to here; my PERSONAL trainer who is extremely fit, like they all are in the first place!

So the bottom line answer is: The fact that black is slimming is universally agreed. The reason why is simple: It hides all the SHADOWS that are created by lumps and bumps because you don't get shadows with a colour that already is the shadow.

What colour is a shadow, you ask?

Photo from flickr

I would say a shadow upon looking at it always looks gray (compared to the colour--don't forget in the colour world context is everything) like it does in the above photo but technically a shadow is the darker version of the colour created by the shadow and since black is the darkest colour, well that's the reason why it's the most slimming colour.

Parisian Inspired Townhomes

I received an email this week regarding an 'open house' being held this weekend for 'Parisian Inspired Townhomes' in Kitsilano so of course I had go as I love Paris! They are open from 9 - 5 today and Sunday at 2465 West 8th. The design was by Kelly Deck and the furniture (and I think most of the accessories) was from Liberty.

Kitchen

These were butterflies that where wired to the wall, a creative art idea I thought!

Upstairs hallway

Purple accent cushions and a purple chair in the master bedroom, more evidence that purple is the new black!

Master Ensuite

Ensuite shower tile

Guest room vignette

Powder Room

These were on the sloped wall in the powder room, 6 etched standard poodles!

Entry

This was the entry hall, framed doilies! How fun is that, it's the only way to have them in any space!